7 Quick Takes Friday is being hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary. Join other Catholic bloggers as we share 7 Quick Posts within one post.

1. Bird’s Nest
Recently, my husband noticed a nest being built over the light on his studio building (right). He had carefully moved it from on top of the light to a metal frame he made close by (at left, so the eggs wouldn’t fry when the light was turned on). Thankfully, the mother bird returned and carried on as if nothing had happened. The baby birds were in the next when I took this photo, but they kept their heads down so I couldn’t get them in the photo.

Photo copyright Ellen Hrkach

2. End of School!
It’s the official end of the school year. My high schooler has been done for a week or so and my youngest son graduated from Grade 8 this past Tuesday. His teacher said that Paul’s first year in the classroom setting was “beyond successful.” And he finished with a solid B plus average. Well done, Paul!

3. Movie Time
My second oldest son and my husband had the unique opportunity of being extras in a movie that was being filmed nearby. They were only on set for one day. Aside from being tired from standing around and a bit sunburned, they had a great experience. I’ll give more details when they become available.

4. Catholic Writers Conference Live
If you are a Catholic writer and are planning to come to the Catholic Writers Conference Live in Somerset, NJ, please register soon at this link. For more information about the conference, read this press release.

5. Pakenham 5-Span Bridge
We’re fortunate to live near the only 5-span bridge in North America.

My third novel, Stealing Jenny, will be FREE today and tomorrow on Kindle.

After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. A neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.
“Stealing Jenny is a gripping novel filled with engaging characters, a compelling mystery and a message which underscores the precious dignity of life. I literally couldn’t put it down and give Stealing Jenny my highest recommendation.” Lisa M. Hendey, author of “A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms”

“Ellen Gable is a masterful storyteller.Stealing Jenny is a smoothly written, chilling tale of gripping suspense. There are terrifying moments and heart-wrenching moments. Catholic faith and hope are tested. Above all, the sacredness and privilege of precious new life is made indisputably evident I never wanted it to end!” Therese Heckenkamp, author, Frozen Footprints and Past Suspicion

1. Crucifix at St. Maria Goretti
During our recent travels, we visited many churches, not only those for my sacramental pilgrimage, but also while on the road. This is the huge crucifix that hangs over the sanctuary of the church where we were married (St. Maria Goretti Church, now Holy Child Parish). This photo doesn`t really capture how large it is…

copyright 2013 James Hrkach

2. Review of Stealing Jenny
Thanks so much to Erin McCole Cupp for this wonderful (and humorous) review of Stealing Jenny.

3. Review of In Name Only
Speaking of reviews, special thanks to Vincent for this well-thought-out review on Goodreads. It gives me great satisfaction when a reader actually understands the message. Here’s an excerpt:There is a surprising amount of content on “the marital act,” especially considering that this is a work of Catholic fiction. Gable is neither crude nor lewd in this area, as she handles the topic very gently albeit in-depth. She also does a fantastic job covering the gamut of Catholic social teaching on sex, as well as the mentality that Catholics should have. This entire area is where Gable’s catholicity really shines.

There are three lasting elements of the novel that have serious staying power: its discussion on the marital act, its illustration of the fragility of life, and lastly, the romance of the story itself. Ms. Gable accomplishes what every Catholic fiction writer should seek to accomplish: a story with Catholicism seamlessly woven into it that is good enough to compete with all fiction, not just in the small Catholic fiction book market.” Read his entire review here. He does include a spoiler alert, in case you haven’t read the book.

4. Fun with a Bun
I try to eat gluten free, so this bun would have gone to waste had it not been for the creative teamwork of my husband and youngest son, just after we finished eating recently at a local restaurant. As we were leaving, the staff seemed to enjoy the little gift we left behind at the table.

Like her other novels, Regina Doman’s new book is based on a fairy tale, this time Rapunzel. As usual, Doman puts a modern spin to the story. To her credit, though, she is able to give us a totally different story filled with twists and turns while at the same time keeping it close enough to the original tale. In the summary of the book, the author asks “Can sex destroy love?”

Hermes and his family are spending the summer in their New England summer house. Hermes is 18 and has been raised in a faithful Catholic family and his father is a prominent politician. Hermes is “sick and tired of sharing his life with his father’s political career and his overbearing older brothers.” He and his brothers eventually discover a house nearby with a tower; one of his brothers dares him to climb the tower. The dare ends up with Hermes falling, but not before discovering there is a girl in the tower.

Hermes eventually climbs the tower successfully. He meets and becomes infatuated with 15-year-old Raphaela, a girl with unusually long hair, smart but innocent. She is kept in the tower supposedly for protection by her adoptive mother, a radical feminist doctor who is part of “Womyn,” a group that believes men are the reason for whatever is wrong in the world.

However, Hermes can’t seem to stay away from Raphaela, despite the fact that visiting her is dangerous for a variety of reasons. This attraction leads him to make selfish choices and the couple eventually become sexually active (these scenes are brilliantly done, without graphic description). The answer to the author’s question “Can sex destroy love,” is illustrated as we journey with the characters throughout the rest of the story.

Surprisingly enough, Hermes’ secret visits to Raphaela continue for weeks; that is, until Raphaela begins exhibiting nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness. Her mother, the radical feminist doctor, recognizes the symptoms, asks her when her last period was, then gives her a pregnancy test which turns out to be positive. Knowing that an unknown male has made her daughter pregnant, she sets a trap. Hermes is eventually arrested and Raphaela taken away. Raphaela, the previously sheltered naive girl, is surprised to be pregnant but happy until her mother and feminist friends convince her that she should have an abortion. Eventually, she comes to realize that her mother is going to force her to abort. So she escapes to keep her unborn baby safe. She disguises herself and spends times in various places in order to stay hidden from her mother and her radical feminist friends.

Raphaela is eventually kidnapped by her mother and taken to an undisclosed location. Hermes realizes something is wrong. Of course, her feminist mother treats her badly in order to get her to give her babies up for adoption. The climax of the novel was compelling and I was clicking ahead quickly on my Kindle to read.

The strength of this particular book is Doman’s ability to illustrate the consequences of immoral sexual behavior. Even though this was the darkest of her Fairy Tale novels, this has become my favorite. I had a hard time putting this book down. It is written beautifully, the characters are well-developed and believable, the story fast-paced.

Note to parents: this novel deals with mature themes and there are scenes of sexuality and violence (although not graphic).

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I am an author, editor, self-publishing book coach, speaker, publisher, NFP teacher, book reviewer, Theology of the Body teacher and Marriage Preparation Instructor. However, the roles I love the most are being wife to my husband of 36 years, James, and mother to our five adult sons, ages 19-31.

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